DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

First time on here ...so please be gentle with me!


I went to replace an ordinary ceiling rose with a new fitting and found that the live wire was yellow?

I have checked several other fittings and switches in the house and found that it is the case in all of the lights.

The roses have 2 blacks, 1 yellow and 1 green wire, and the switches have 2 reds and 1 yellow.


I have never seen a yellow wire used in this situation before and was wondering if it is legal. The circuits are straight on-off type (ie not 2way switching).



Many thanks..

Hi, from what you say you have it must be old single core wiring in conduits, with lives looped at switches, neutrals looped at roses & switch wires in yellow. The sw. wires should have been over-sleeved red.
This practice was used in local authority housing a few years back, you will find the green earth wire comes from a terminal in back of conduit box, using conduit as earth continuity conductor (CPC). If this is so then you will have a metal consumer unit to pick up conduit earths.
If this is not so please reply with any other observations.
regards SPARX

The loops are exactly as you describe and it is a local authority house...the use of the yellow cable was throwing me as I'd never seen it before and neither had a more experienced sparky I spoke to.


I'd have to do more investigation into the source of the earths but I do know that the consumer unit is a modern plastic one....MK I think.


Since my original post I have had a closer look at some of the wiring and have told my parents to get the council to have a look at it as I have found some live wiring cut off and tucked into skirting boards, and light fittings being back-fed from another source.



Glad it ain't my house but my mum is crapping herself now!!!




Cheers